Slot cabinet and base unit therefor

• US 5,826,882 A
• Filed: 11/12/1996
• Issued: 10/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vector SLOT Machine Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Vector SLOT Machine Company LLC
• Inventors: Ward, Daniel E.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAYNO, BENJAMIN
• Application Number:
  US08/745,690
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 463/46, 463/20, 463/12, 463/13, 273/309, 273/143 R, 273/138.1, 273/138.2, 312/194, 312/195, 312/196, 312/265.5, 312/265.6, 312/290, 312/287, 312/289, 312/223.2, 312/223.3, 312/223.6, 312/351.2
• US Class Current: 273/309
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/10 Casings or parts thereof, e.g. with means for heating or cooling

Abstract

A slot cabinet and base unit of this invention are provided for maximizing the number of gaming machines within a given floor space. The invention minimizes required floor space by reducing the size of the gaming machine and also enabling a player to sit closer to the gaming machine. The slot cabinet has a narrowed profile which reduced its effective width. The slot cabinet further includes a rear member which complements another slot cabinet placed back-to-back, thus reducing the overall width of two slot cabinets placed back-to-back. The arrangement of the elements of the gaming machine placed within the slot cabinet helps to reduce the overall size of the slot cabinet. The base unit of this invention enables a player to sit closer to a slot cabinet mounted thereon. The base unit may be configured for receiving back-to-back slot cabinets thereon, or may be configured for receiving a single wall slot cabinet. The base unit and slot cabinet may both be modified to achieve weight reduction.

Claims

1. A base unit for mounting a slot machine thereon, said base unit comprising:

a first pair of spaced opposed walls;

a second pair of spaced opposed walls interconnecting said first pair of spaced opposed walls and arranged substantially perpendicular thereto, said first and second pairs of spaced opposed walls forming a central opening therebetween;

at least one pair of flanges extending from corresponding ends of said second pair of apposed walls;

a bottom member interconnecting said first and second pairs of spaced opposed walls, said bottom member including at least one bottom opening formed therethrough; and

a trap door mounted to said bottom member and covering said bottom opening.

2. A base unit, as claimed in claim 1, further including:

an upper surface attached to said first and second pairs of spaced opposed walls, said upper surface including a plurality of upper openings formed throughout.

3. A base unit, as claimed in claim 1, further including:

an access door mounted to one wall of said second pair of space apposed walls.

4. A base unit, as claimed in claim 1, further including:

a divider placed within said central opening for creating at least two modules therein.

5. a base unit, as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

said divider is perforated.

6. A base unit, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said first pair of spaced opposed walls include at least one removable panel.

7. A base unit, as claimed in claim 6, wherein said at least one removable panel includes:

a plurality of holes formed therethrough to reduce the weight of said at least one removable panel.

8. A base unit, as claimed in claim 1, further including:

at least one channel connected to said bottom member for supporting said bottom member above the surface of the ground, said at least one channel being positioned interiorly of said first pair of spaced apposed walls and forming a foot relief.

9. A base unit, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said second pair of spaced opposed walls are a pair of recessed walls.

10. A base unit for mounting a slot machine thereon, said base unit comprising:

a pair of spaced opposed side walls, each spaced opposed side wall including a first opening;

at least one adjacent wall interconnecting said pair of spaced opposed side walls and arranged substantially perpendicular thereto, said pair of spaced opposed side walls and said at least one adjacent wall forming a central opening therebetween;

an upper surface attached to said spaced apposed side walls; and

a removable upper panel mountable on said upper surface.

11. A base unit, as claimed in claim 10 further including:

at least one pair of flanges away from said at least one adjacent wall.

12. A base unit, as claimed in claim 10, further including:

an access door mounted on said at least one adjacent wall.

13. A base unit, as claimed in claim 10, further including:

a bottom member interconnecting said pair of spaced opposed side walls and said at least one adjacent wall, said bottom member including at least one second opening formed therethrough; and

a trap door mounted to said bottom member and covering said second opening.

14. A base unit, as claimed in claim 13, further including:

at least one channel connected to said bottom member for supporting said bottom member above the surface of the ground, said at least one channel being positioned interiorly of said at least one adjacent wall and forming a foot relief.

15. A base unit, as claimed in claim 10, further including:

a divider placed within said central opening for creating at least two modules therein.

16. A base unit, as claimed in claim 10, further including:

at least one removable side panel positionable over one of said first openings of said pair of spaced opposed side walls.

17. A base unit, as claimed in claim 10, wherein:

said at least one adjacent wall is a recessed wall.

18. A base unit, as claimed in claim 17, wherein:

said at least one removable side panel includes a plurality of holes formed therethrough to reduce the weight of said at least one removable side panel.

19. A base unit for mounting a gaming machine thereon, said base unit comprising:

a pair of spaced opposed side walls;

at least one facing wall interconnecting said space apposed side walls and arranged substantially perpendicular thereto, said spaced opposed side walls and said at least one facing wall forming a central opening therebetween;

a bottom member attached to said side walls and said at least one facing wall, said bottom member placed a predetermined height above the floor and forming a foot relief; and

a trap door mounted to said bottom member.

20. A base unit for mounting a gaming machine thereon, said base unit comprising:

means for forming a central opening including at least one wall;

an access door mounted to said at least one wall;

a bottom member connected to said forming means; and

a trap door mounted to said bottom member.

21. A base unit, as claimed in claim 20, wherein said forming means further includes:

a pair of opposed side walls; and

said at least one wall is a recessed wall interconnecting said side walls and arranged substantially perpendicular thereto.

22. A base unit, as claimed in claim 21, wherein said pair of opposed side walls include:

at least one removable panel positionable over one of said pair of opposed side walls.

23. A base unit, as claimed in claim 20, further including:

at least one pair of flanges extending away from said at least one wall.

24. A base unit, as claimed in claim 20, further including:

an upper surface attached to said forming means; and

a removable upper panel mountable on said upper surface.

25. A base unit, as claimed in claim 20, further including:

a divider placed within said central opening for creating at least two modules therein.

26. A base unit, as claimed in claim 20, further including:

at least one channel connected to said bottom member for supporting said bottom member above the floor, said at least one channel being positioned interiorly of said at least one wall to form a foot relief.

27. A base unit for mounting a gaming machine thereon, said base unit comprising:

means for forming a central opening including at least one wall;

means for accessing said at least one wall mounted to said at least one wall;

a bottom member connected to said forming means;

an upper surface attached to said forming means; and

a removable upper panel mountable on said upper surface.

28. A base unit, as claimed in claim 27, further including:

means connected to said bottom member for accessing the floor under said bottom member.